Old Ironclad Soldiers are enemies in Dark Souls II.
Location[]
Description[]
Large, stocky, armored knights wielding two-handed maces. They are similar in appearance to the Ironclad Soldiers found in the Iron Keep, but the armor is far more worn and almost completely covered in moss. A series of layered metal plates on their backs resembles a tortoise's shell.
Strategy[]
Old Ironclad Soldiers are slow moving, but heavy hitting. They behave almost identically to the Ironclad Soldiers, although they are weaker. As such, any strategy that works against Old Ironclad Soldiers can likely be used against Ironclad Soldiers, and vice versa.
A simple, but somewhat risky, strategy would be to circle around the Ironclad Soldier and face its back to bait it into doing a body slam, then immediately dodge it. This will give the player ample time to attack the Ironclad while it struggles to stand back up.
Evading is often more effective than blocking, as it's impossible to block the overhead smash and the immense stamina-drain from blocking the other attacks, especially since they're often encountered at a low level.
Strike damage is also very effective. The player can wait for the Ironclad Soldier to attack, deal a heavy strike, roll back to avoid the potential follow-up attack and repeat.
They are susceptible to ranged attacks. Especially sorceries and miracles. Therefore, retaining a safe distance while attacking it is a viable strategy. Players using this strategy should be careful, however, as the overhead smash can close the gap surprisingly quickly.
Another strategy is to bait it into attacking, then backing up to avoid its attack, get one hit (because it recovers quite quickly) and then roll backward to dodge the follow-up attack. This is especially effective while using a sword, axe, or other weapon with medium speed and good damage with two hands. Not recommended for small weapons like the dagger due to low damage output, although still possible. Large weapons like ultra greatswords or halberds are a not recommended because even if you get a hit, you will not be able to dodge the next strike. Plenty of room is a necessity and make sure it is a one on one fight.
Attacks[]
Smash!: Performs an overhead smash. The mace is often held over their head while they run at the player, if they are far enough away. Slows the player's movement momentarily if they are near the point of impact. Unblockable.
Swing: Performs a broad swing with the mace.
Mace Combo: Performs a four swing combo. The fourth swing is slightly delayed compared to the initial three.
Body Slam: If the player attempts to attack an Ironclad Soldier from behind, it will always perform a body slam by falling on its back. Deals extremely high Poise damage and is unblockable, but leaves the enemy open if the attack is avoided.
Backstab: Very rarely, performs a sidekick to the player's shin then transitions to an overhead slam to the player's back.
Drops[]
| Item |  Old Ironclad Helm |
 Old Ironclad Armor |
 Old Ironclad Gauntlets |
 Old Ironclad Leggings |
 Human Effigy |
| Drop Rate | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Gallery[]
